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15 Ways to Boost Employee Morale

By Lea Hartog on April 28, 2008

Employees’ spirits can easily fall if their day-to-day responsibilities are monotonous or if they don’t feel valued by their supervisors. Over time, this can translate into an unmotivated and unproductive staff. Therefore, it’s important for your company to make sure that employees are interested in and appreciated for their work. Use these 15 tips to help improve employee morale and boost productivity within your organization.

1. Help them wake up. Mornings can often be the hardest part of an employee’s day. Workers who are fighting off fatigue have trouble focusing and getting excited about their responsibilities. Offer freshly brewed coffee and tea to help employees start the day awake and alert. Not only will they be grateful for the caffeine, they’ll be more productive throughout the day.

2. Recognize birthdays and personal accomplishments. Most employees appreciate it when their supervisors remember their birthdays or acknowledge personal milestones such as having a child or finishing a marathon. Some companies even offer employees a paid day off on their birthdays. Knowing that managers are aware of employees' lives outside of work makes them feel like a valued member of the team rather than just anonymous workers.3. Treat them with respect. This tip sounds like a no-brainer, but it can make a world of difference to employees. Don’t swear, lose your temper or ignore your staff, especially in front of other employees. Treat employees with the courtesy and respect they deserve — say please and thank you, ask about their weekend, and take an interested in projects that they’re working on.4. Establish an employee-recognition program. Employees want supervisors to be aware and appreciative of their work. Create an employee-of-the-month program or a wall of fame to recognize workers’ notable contributions. Such programs demonstrate an employer's appreciation and also offer incentives for other staff members to increase their productivity.

5. Add a personal touch. If you’re particularly impressed with an employee’s work, show it. Handwrite a note or send flowers or a gift certificate to demonstrate your gratitude. Your personal attention will make the recognized employee feel valued and unique.

6. Treat them to lunch. Order pizza or take employees out to lunch occasionally to keep their spirits high. Getting the opportunity to socialize without worrying about the bill will put employees in a good mood and help them enjoy their work environment and colleagues.

7. Check in with staff members. Hold meetings with individual workers or groups of employees several times throughout the year to address any questions or concerns that they may have. Even if you don’t have a meeting scheduled soon, make sure that employees know that you are always there to address any problems that may crop up. Ask for their feedback and reactions to new company policies, and be sure to update them on what steps you've taken to solve any problems.

8. Back them up. Though customer satisfaction is important to every business, supervisors must support their employees if they encounter problems despite having followed company protocol. Don’t let your workers get yelled at or mistreated by customers or co-workers. If you see such a conflict, step in and manage the situation. Your employees will be grateful for your intervention, and it’s part of your job as a manager to offer strong support.

9. Keep training them. In this ever-evolving world of new technologies and ideas, employees need to stay up-to-date with developments in their field. Staff members can interpret an employer’s unwillingness to invest in training as a disregard for their professional development. They’ll also be less productive than your competitors’ better-trained employees. Enroll workers in classes and send them to conferences to keep them (and your company) on top of the game.10. Get to know them. You don’t need to take employees home to meet your parents, but be sure to learn enough about their personal lives to show that you care. Ask about hobbies and interests, find out if they have spouses or children, and talk about your respective plans for the weekend. Staff members will appreciate your interest.

11. Avoid layoffs and cutbacks. Nothing hurts employee morale like knowing that their jobs might be on the line. Turn to layoffs only as a last resort if your company or department is struggling. And if you must cut jobs, be completely honest about the reasons why particular employees were chosen. Also, try to give employees as much notice as possible that layoffs are looming; that way, they’ll have time to get their personal budgets in order or start scheduling interviews.

12. Throw a party. Though many employees whine about attending office parties, most enjoy the chance to socialize with their peers outside of the work environment. Celebrate a company milestone or throw a holiday bash at the end of the year. You can also use parties as opportunities to recognize individual employees for outstanding work in front of the entire company.13. Bring employees together for a community-service project. Get employees out of the office for an afternoon to take on a community-service project together. Help build a house with Habitat for Humanity or clean up a local trail. Staff will likely enjoy the opportunity to give back to their local community, and they might also learn important team skills by collaborating in a new environment.

14. Offer financial rewards. Performance bonuses are easy ways for managers to show appreciation for employees' outstanding achievements. And there is no doubt that workers like them.

15. Conduct employee-satisfaction surveys. If nothing you do seems to be improving employee morale, conduct an employee-satisfaction survey to determine what is making workers unhappy. Be sure to address any issues you uncover promptly and thoroughly to avoid losing workers for good.

In short, an unhappy employee is an unproductive employee. Your company needs to pursue policies like the ones mentioned above to help your business become a more enjoyable place to work. Not only will employees start to look forward to their workdays, but your organization will benefit from newfound efficiency. And of course, when word of your company’s perks gets around, it will make it much easier to recruit the most talented workers in the job pool.

great site for quick yet helpful information. Easy to read and great ideas!! Thanks so much!

Ashleigh, Nov 20, 2008

it is very nice site.the info i have collected was exactly what i want.

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